Three Wishes for Cinderella - Blu-ray Review

[Michael Scott]

Three Wishes for Cinderella



Movie:
Video:
Audio:
Extras:
Final Score:


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Movie
1973’s Czech driven movie Three Nuts for Cinderella (sometimes translated as Three Wishes for Cinderella) was a HUGE pop culture hit back in the day, and I vaguely vaguely remember watching it as a child. However, it’s been literally 30 years since I’ve seen it on an old rusty VHS tape that was taped straight from broadcast television, so my memory is shaky at best in regards to how I felt about it. However, I was intrigued when I saw that Norway had redone the 48 year old film (49 now) back in 2021 and eagerly requested the Blu-ray when I saw Shout Factory was getting ahold of it. I honestly had no idea what I was getting into, but being that I don’t see a lot of Norwegian cinema, AND that it was starring Norwegian pop star Astrid S (who has an absolutely lovely voice) AND it was a remake of an iconic Czech film I was all ears.

The story is very much the same as what we’ve all known from the original story (or the Disneyfied remake). Cinderella (Astrid S) is living with her wicked stepmother out in the sticks of Norway. Her stepmother (Ellen Dorrit Petersen) is a wealthy landowner among the farmers out there, and keeps Cinderella under her thumb after her real father died some years ago, spending all of her money and time on her OTHER daughter, Dora. The King of Norway is about to throw a ball for his son the Prince (Cengiz Al) so that he might find a bride out of all the noble women of the kingdom.

While Dora is preparing to go to the ball in order to try and snag the prince, Cinderella inadvertently runs into the prince hunting out in the wilds. An instant connection is formed, but before he can get her name, Cinderella rushes off. As fate may have it, Cinderella is given 3 acorn nuts by the kindly estate manager, and low and behold the nuts are magic. Each nut gives Cinderella a piece of her heritage back (such as her father’s bow and hunting outfit which acts as a perfect disguise to the meet the prince once more that she has obviously fallen for), and attend the ball even though her Stepmother has forbade her to.

The rest of the story plays out almost identically to the classic story, but there are a number of changes to the plot due to the cultural “texture” of Norway. Dora is not an evil witch liker her mother, but really a shy and sweet girl who is forced into being cruel just to please her mother. Also, there’s a bit of a change up in regards to the prince as well. He’s not a hot headed doofus, but rather a gentle soul who just doesn’t want to marry some stuffy random nobleman’s daughter like he’s supposed to. In fact, that’s what draws Cinderella to him, as he’s not this uppity guy that she assumed he would be. Their chemistry is delightful to watch, and the added humor that the movie infuses into the classic story is a breath of fresh air.

There is a decidedly foreign feel to the movie for those of us growing up inundated with Hollywood pictures. However, it’s delightful (that is quite literally the best way I can describe the film), with lovely period piece costumes, and a warm and inviting cast (we even get to see Kristofer Hivju of Game of Thrones as well as Thorbjorn Harr of Vikings show up too) that just thrives off of Astrid S’s absolutely sweet portrayal of Cinderella.




Rating:

Not Rated by the MPAA




Video:

Shout Factory’s Blu-ray release sports a great looking 1.78:1 framed AVC encode that literally sparkles with bright and blue back drops along with honey colored interior shot. The film has it’s share of CGI (such as the nuts transformation scene) which looks a little wonky, but the film is just laced with TONS of practical set pieces and clothing to make it feel so wonderfully textured. Detail levels are strong across the board with good skin tones and some very inky blacks. I did notice some very mild banding in the night sky a few times, but otherwise this is a near pristine looking transfer that should please everyone.









Audio:

The 5.1 DTS-HD MA tracks on board give us both an English Dub as well a the original Norwegian mix, and I HIGHLY recommend the Norwegian mix here. The English dub is alright, but it most certainly doesn’t carry the weight and impact that the actors vocalize and feels a bit “cheap” in comparison. The 5.1 Norwegian track is excellent too, with great vocal range and some amazing use of the surrounds as Cinderella flits around the countryside. The score wonderfully melodic and flows effortlessly around the soundstage as well, filling everything out with much aplomb (especially during the ball) and the bass is powerful and punchy when needed without being overly massive. All in all, this is an excellent sounding mix.












Extras:

• Trailer

Final Score: ​

After being so horribly disappointed with Kay Cannon’s Netflix only jukebox musical version of Cinderella that I had to review a few months back, this was a wonderful change of pace. It’s light hearted, airy, and I was smiling from beginning to end. If I had to levy any complaints against the film, it’s that the third act where the prince goes out searching for Cinderella feels a bit rushed. The humor with the wicked stepmother at the end seems a bit forced, and overall it just stalled a bit during that act. This niggle aside, I had a wonderful time with the movie and have to give a solid thumbs up for Shout Factory’s excellent Blu-ray release.


Technical Specifications:

Starring: Astrid S, Cengiz Al, Ellen Dorrit Petersen, Thorbjorn Harr
Directed by: Cecilie A. Mosli
Written by: Anna Bache-Wiig, Karsten Fullu, Kamilla Krogsveen
Aspect Ratio: 1.78:1 AVC
Audio: English: DTS-HD MA 5.1, Norwegian DTS-HD MA 5.1, English, Norwegian DTS-HD MA 2.0
Subtitles: English, English SDH
Studio: Shout Factory
Rated: NR
Runtime: 87 minutes
Blu-Ray Release Date: October 18th, 2022

Recommendation: Very Fun Watch